Washington, White House, President Roosevelt's office.
US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark, and Fleet Commander Admiral James Richardson sat on the office sofa, waiting for President Roosevelt to finish reading the operational plan they had submitted.
Wearing his glasses, President Roosevelt carefully read the operational plan submitted by the Navy. Though the plan was only a few thin pages long, President Roosevelt read it with great care, taking a full half hour.
Although President Roosevelt was not a serviceman, he had once served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and knew the Navy's affairs very well.
After quite some time, President Roosevelt finally set down the operational plan in his hand and removed his glasses.
"Gentlemen, I have read your operational plan. It is indeed a very rigorous plan, with every aspect thoroughly considered. But I would like to know: what are the chances of victory?" President Roosevelt asked.
Secretary Frank Knox looked toward Admiral Harold Stark.
Admiral Harold Stark thought for a moment before saying, "Mr. President, if we prepare adequately, we have roughly a sixty percent chance of winning."
"Sixty percent?" President Roosevelt could not help furrowing his brow.
"Yes, Mr. President. The German Navy is very powerful. And if we mobilize our fleet, the Germans certainly will not remain idle. Therefore, even if we commit all our main forces, defeating the German Navy will be extremely difficult. A sixty percent chance of victory is already quite good," Admiral Harold Stark explained.
President Roosevelt nodded. He knew that in terms of sheer strength, it would be very difficult for the US Navy to defeat the German Navy, unless luck was on their side. The current plan to launch a surprise attack on the Azores gave the US Navy a certain